good morning. searching for clues. investigators picking through the formerly booby trapped department of the alleged colorado shooter today, trying to collect evidence that will shed light on one of the nation's worst shooting rampages as president obama heads there today to comfort the families of those lost. fall from grace. penn state announces this morning it is going to take down the statue of former head football coach joe paterno. it is in the wake of a report stating paterno was part of a child sex abuse cover-up. and countdown to the olympics. we made our way to london with the games just five days away. the eyes of the world right here

as its best athletes dream of gold, today. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, everyone. welcome to a special edition of "today" on this sunday morning. i'm lester holt in london. my colleague is holding down the for the fort in new york. good to see you. >> we'll get to the latest on aurora, colorado in a bit. with the london olympics five days away, i have to imagine, lester, people there are getting super excited about the games. >> they're really getting excited about the sunshine. it stopped raining. it is a gorgeous day. people picnicking along the thames behind me. london is buzzing about the olympics. the torch is here.

the olympic fever is contagious. we'll take you on a tour of this area. in the next half hour, who will be the next michael phelps? we'll look at the potential great lak breakout star for the summer games. english is the official language here. you may need help to figure out what some folks are talking about.coming up in a bit. >> back here, new hope for two little girls missing for more than a week in iowa. they're 8 and 10-year-old cousins who vanished, but authorities say there is good reason to believe the girls are indeed alive. we'll have an update on that. disturbing news, michael jackson's mother has been reported missing. paris jackson sent out a tweet asking for help while jermaine jackson claims she's just fine. is this just the latest chapter in a family dispute over michael fortu fortune? we'll have more on that in a live report in a little bit. then also ahead, first paula, then j. lo then mariah.

mariah carey may be the next new judge on "american idol". we'll tell you what jennifer lopez thinks about her new replacement. before we get to any of that, americans and british alike are falli iare following events in colorado. >> president obama is headed to aurora later today, scene of the horrific shooting attack to comfort the distraught families of the victims. his trip comes as federal law enforcement officials examine the formerly booby trapped apartment of the alleged shooter, searching for clues. nbc's mike taibbi is outside the complex and joins us this morning. >> reporter: now the technicians have been able to get into the booby trapped apartment of the suspect james holmes. the investigation is pressing forward on all cylinders. local police helped by teches from the fbi and atf are pouring over the physical and documentary evidence, they continue to interview known associates of the suspect and have been in contact with 80 who

called the tipline. we don't yet know the why. part of the james holmes mystery is coming clear of a clean cut middle class kid everyone called jimmy changed into a sullen 24-year-old man with dyed hair who police say was seen fitting a scope through an assault rifle in a local gun shop three weeks ago. william mckie was in the store. >> i had a weird feeling he was just a guy shouldn't be buying that type of gun. he had a kind of weird aura about him, i guess. >> reporter: bomb technicians found his apartment was booby trapped as he reportedly warned it was and used a controlled detonation to defeat the trip wires and incendiary devices that could have killed anyone entering. now, fbi agents could go in, photographing and collecting evidence and trucking away a cache of explosives to a desert location where it was safely detonated. dozens of people evacuated from

adjacent buildings could now return home, but was found in the suspect's apartment made his building a potential death trap. >> we saw multiple containers with accelerants. >> this apartment was designed to kill whoever entered it. >> reporter: what changed james holmes or for him? he was a talented high school student who played soccer and ran cross country. and then a scholarship student who emerged from the university of california riverside with a degree in neuroscience. but the next level, the medical college at the ufrd niversity o colorado, was tougher. he struggled academically, faced a preliminary examination in june and possible academic probation. instead, he quit. and days later police say he bought the last of four weapons just like these that were recovered at the scene of the massacre. in the meantime, his own father robert holmes was as shocked as anyone to learn that his gifted son was the sole suspect in a genuine horror. >> can you talk to us? >> no, i can't. no comment.

>> reporter: so it is left for others to figure out the how you and the why and they're not quite there yet. the forensic examination of the primary crime scene, the theater nine in century 16 complex behind me, has been completed. the defense team will be allowed to take a look tomorrow. also tomorrow, the first scheduled court appearance for the suspect james holmes who remains in isolation, in segregation in county jail and reportedly continues to refuse to talk to the police. jenna? >> mike taibbi, mike, thank you very much. 12 people were killed, 58 injured in this shooting rampage. people with so much to live for gunned down in cold blood. this morning, we're learning more about the dead and those lucky enough to survive. nbc's kate snow is also in aurora with more. kate, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, jenna. after the families had all been informed, the coroner's office released the official names of all 12 of the dead. this morning, 26 people are still in the hospital, struggling to hang on. nine of them in critical condition. and one of those is a mother of

a very young girl who died at the movies. ♪ i once was lost >> reporter: she was so young, just 6 years old. >> a vibrant little girl, a 6-year-old, just as bragging about learning how to swim on tuesday. >> reporter: annie dalton's great niece veronica was at the movies with her mom, who is still in the hospital, paralyzed with a bullet still lodged in her neck. gone too, 18-year-old a.j. boik who wanted to be an art teacher, micayla medek attending community college, alex teves just earned a masters degree in psychology, rebecca wingo's friends miss her. >> i want people to remember rebecca as amazing mother who would sacrifice everything for herself, for her kids, and for her family. >> reporter: jessica ghawi wanted to make it as a

sportscaster. gordon cowden was the oldest victim at 51. john larimer served in the navy. jesse childress in the air force. alex sullivan would have celebrated his one-year wedding anniversary today. john blunk dove on top of his girlfriend to keep her safe. so did matt mcquinn. he shielded his date samantha. >> they have the very, very sparkle of love in their eyes when they looked at each other. >> reporter: from survivors to stories of being rescued, jennifer alval was frozen in fear when her husband threw her on the ground. >> he saved my life. it makes me realize how much he loves me. >> reporter: in the theater next door to where the gunman was shooting eric group of kids in denver for a meeting of young people who stutter, a bullet had come through the wall and hit gauge hentgens in the arm. he's happy to be here. >> life, it can be really short. and you just have to live every

day. ♪ now i see >> reporter: so many survivors have told us that it was the quick action of police who were here at the theater within moments that actually put people in their patrol cars to take them to the hospital. that's why so many more lives were saved here. families of the victims are now planning memorial services and tonight, jenna, there is a candlelight vigil, a big candlelight vigil planned here in aurora. jenna? >> kate snow. kate, thank you very much. and a quick program note, tonight's "dateline" "tragedy in colorado" will have the latest on the investigation in aurora. it airs at 7:00, 6:00 central here on nbc. time now for a check of the morning's other top stories from cnbc's courty reagan. >> good morning to you. good morning, everyone. we learned this morning that the president of penn state university has ordered the famed statue of football coach joe paterno to be removed today, from outside the gates of beaver stadium. the larger than life monument turned into a target for paterno's critics after an

investigation alleged that he helped bury sex abuse allegations for more than a decade against now convicted assistant jerry sandusky to protect the university's storied football program. norway is memorializing the victims of its own tragedy. one year after 77 people were killed by a right wing fanatic, 33-year-old anders breivik has admitted to the bombing and gun massacre that shocked the peaceful nation last july 22nd. at a wreath laying ceremony today, the prime minister said breivik failed to stop norway from becoming an inclusive multicultural society. condolences are pouring in for usher. the 11-year-old son of usher's ex-wife has lost a two-week fight for his life. kyle glover suffered a major brain injury after being run over july 6th by a personal water craft on a lake near atlanta. sylvester stallone and family members gathered saturday to mourn the death of his son, 36-year-old sage stallone was

found dead in his los angeles home on july 13th. the official cause of death is pending toxicology results, which could take weeks. an elderly woman turns into a crime fighter and it is all caught on security video when two armed robbery suspects went for the cash register and her son-in-law's grocery store. this 80-year-old woman went for the only weapon she had, a box of mangos. the elderly hero drove the men from the store, but not before one of them hit her in the head with a gun. luckily she will be okay. the suspects are under arrest. what a weapon, that's the news. now back over to jenna and crystal. >> whatever you can do you do. courtney reagan, thank you very much. crystal egger is here with a check of the weather. nice here and then not so nice from what i understand. >> thing goes downhill across the northeast tomorrow. the top weather story, once again, has to be the heat in the middle of the country, for millions. it is going to be downright uncomfortable to be outside, looking at heat across the

plains, up into the great lakes once again. 105 in kansas city today. denver at 100 degrees. stay cool. stay hydrated. check on your neighbors. if there is anybody who you know of who may not have air conditioning, make sure they have a way to stay cool as well. and that heat is going to stick around all week long. >> we're starting off the day with lots of clouds. a little bit of fog and drizzle even. that should be clearing off towards the afternoon but the clouds stick around keeping temperatures cool. low to mid 80's towards the and now let's head back to lester in london. ♪

>> crystal, thanks. it has been years in the making and now with just days to go before the london olympics, britain is feeling olympic fever. the torch arrived in the city on friday. and it will be making its way to the city until the opening ceremony gets under way on friday. this as organizers are making final preparations hoping the third time is the best ever. it is a city rich in history, and steeped in tradition, and a country that certainly knows how you to put on a show. >> they know how to entertain. they have a sense for the big occasion. >> reporter: big and spectacular is what great britain does best. in the last year and a half, london has taken center stage, from the royal wedding, to last month's diamond jubilee. ♪

now, all eyes will be on london once again as the city makes history, becoming the first to ever host three olympic games. >> i think we should do as much as we can to make people feel welcome. >> reporter: it has been seven years in the making and now athletes from more than 200 countries will compete at the 34 different olympic venues spread out across the city and beyond. >> definitely going to bring the country closer together. it is the perfect chance to show that we can host a good games. >> reporter: pride in their city, with hope the games will be a smashing success. now, let me show you a little bit about our backdrop here for our broadcast this morning. that's the tower bridge in london. british terms, not that old, 1987 it was built. the original plan was for pedestrians to walk across the top. they didn't do that. but still a drawbridge and twice a day it opens up and the olympic rings are on a hinge. just to the left, that's the famous tower of london. that is old. a thousand years old.

it was built originally as a fortress and then became a palace and then it became the infamous prison. two of the wise of king henry viii were beheaded there, the famous trader gates where prisoners would be taken in and the last time they saw the light of day. a prison until worldmuseum, a p can take a tour, a wonderful tour. the crown jewels are stored there. worth seeing if you're in london. look around. this is also a great place on a sunday for people to hang out and enjoy the sun. the rare sun. now, i can try to give you a tour of london all day long, but what right do i have when i have a man who knows it all, ben fogel. our special correspondent. it is wonderful to be in london. >> i mean, this just sums up the feeling in town, i think, generally, that we have got the bridge behind us with the olympic rings. everyone is out basking and, you know, we really are celebrating an incredible -- >> can i show you something?

i brought my vancouver mittens. everybody said i would be freezing and miserable. look at this. >> i don't think you're going to need those. >> i think this has gotten people more in the olympic mood. i read an article that people were down, i haven't seen it. >> a lot of our newspapers here have been very negative in the last week. i think the british public are getting frustrated by that. we are embracing this. this is a really important time, the games. it is also the culmination of the royal wedding last year, the diamond jubilee. >> it has been a lot in the last 18 months. >> and the world's focus has been on london. i think londoners and people in the uk generally want to show a new side to great britain. >> which makes me wonder, we saw the jubilee and all the pomp and circumstance, that's what people expect of great britain. what do you think they'll see in terms of opening ceremony and in general how these olympics will be packaged? will it be relying on tradition or will we see a cut youting ed

look. >> an element of both. the very fact that danny boyle is actually putting on the olympic ceremony, he's pretty forward thinking. and i think, you know, we have tower bridge behind us and that's old london. i think you're going to see a very different side, a newer side to london. >> well, it is a great town. people have welcomed us. great to have you along. >> i'm really excited. >> we kept you busy. you'll be busier. >> great. >> great to have you here. more to come on "today." is michael jackson's mother okay? there is a new drama surrounding the family matriarch. more on that story in a moment. these fellas used capital one venture miles for a golf getaway. double miles you can actually use... but mr. single miles can't join his friends because he's getting hit with blackouts. shame on you. now he's stuck in a miniature nightmare. oh, thank you. but, with the capital one venture card... you can fly any airline, any flight, any time. double miles you can actually use. what's in your wallet?

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by trent jackson, who is a nephew of katherine jackson. he told police he hadn't heard from her for about a week, since this past sunday. and he was very worried. he gave some information, might be traveling in albuquerque, new mexico, but not a lot of precise details. he gave police several phone numbers that they could reach her with and the police say they have not been able to contact her at all. so the case has been handed over to a missing persons bureau for investigation. at this point, they're saying they do not believe there has been any foul play. now, the situation got complicated when a tweet was sent out by paris jackson, michael jackson's 14-year-old daughter, the tweet said, in part, something to the effect that she hadn't seen her grandmother -- let's see, i'm sorry, the tweet says that, yes, my grandmother is missing, i haven't spoken with her in a week and i want her home now. there was also some conflicting information, another tweet by jermaine jackson that said, i

want to reassure everyone, including all sudden medical experts that mother is fine, but is resting in arizona on the orders of her doctor, not us. so, again, a lot of conflicting information. what we do know is there is a police report that has been filed. they don't know where she is. she may be in arizona as jermaine jackson says. she may be missing as paris jackson says. again, more drama, conflict with the jacksons and katherine jackson's whereabouts unknown. >> we will wait to see this, how this unfolds. ron allen. ron, thank you very much. we're going to take a break. we're back right after this. until i got a job in the big apple. adjusting to city life was hard for me. and becoming a fulltime indoor cat wasn't easy for atti. but we had each other and he had purina cat chow indoor. he absolutely loved it. and i knew he was getting everything he needed to stay healthy indoors. and after a couple of weeks, i knew we were finally home! [ female announcer ] purina cat chow indoor.

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>> good morning. i'm lowell melser. the time now is 8:26. here's a look at some of the top stories this morning. baltimore city police are investigating a shooting in northwest baltimore. police say a man was shot multiple times just after 3:00 on saturday morning in the 3500 block of west belvedere avenue. the 21-year-old hit in the face and body and was taken to an area hospital and is in critical but stable condition. detectives are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the northwest precinct. y multivehicle car accident

sent many people to the hospital. this morning, there is no word of what caused that crash. meanwhile, howard county police have identified the man killed in a car crash in ellicott city. the accident happened around 1:45 saturday in the 9500 block of old frederick road. police say an 87-year-old's truck ran off the road and struck a tree. he was pronounced dead at the scene. officials say that the accident was partially caused by the driver's failure to reduce speed on wet roads but that crash is still under investigation. and a programming note to pass along, lieutenant governor anthony brown will be our q&a guest in the next hour of "11 news sunday morning" if you have a question for the lieutenant governor, send it in. e-mail your questions to sunday questions at wbaltv.com. you can also post your question to the front of our facebook wbal-tv. we'll get a check on

>> bit of a dreary start to the day. we're waking up to a lot of clouds and we've had some rain and drizzle reported so far. watch out for some fog as well. this should all be clearing out towards the afternoon. for now, we still have that on-shore flow around the high pressure system and the counter clockwise flow ushering that flow on from the atlantic. that should start to ease up towards the afternoon. we stay mostly cloudy with only a chance for a break for sunshine. it will be much warmer than where we were yesterday. we're up to 92 on tuesday. hotter and more humid the next

couple of days and a scattered chance for storms at least earlier in the week. we'll throw the rain chances in by the end of the week. >> thanks, ava. thank you for joining us. "11 news sunday morning" starts in 25 minutes. we're back on a sunday morning, july 22nd. you're looking at a live picture of london, england. i sort of did that in my best british accent. for the 2012 summer games will be in full swing in five days. a great thanks to the folks who are spending part of the morning with us here in new york, out on the plaza, back on this side of the pond. i'm jenna wolfe. lester holt is in london, doing his best british accent, which we'll get to in a little bit. coming up in this half hour, we'll take a closer look at which athletes we should be focusing on during the games. >> we are indeed.

but, you know, not only did i import sunshine to london, i brought my own crowd with me. this is a group of american teenagers. where are you from? >> we're all from america. i'm from pennsylvania. >> i would have never guessed. >> pennsylvania. >> from all over the united states. a tour of europe? >> yeah. london and paris. >> have you seen any faithous a athletes yet? >> not yet. the gymnast team was on our plane. >> hope you have a fun time in london. have a great week. >> thank you. >> well, team usa is expected to bring home the gold, especially when it comes to swimming, gymnastics, track and field. we'll tell you the names to know before the games begin. also -- >> don't forget it is a long walk. >> jenna, do you have any idea what he's talking about? we'll tell you why some people headed to london may need a translator despite the fact we share this common language.

>> i wouldn't know what he was talking about even if he spoke the way i speak. i don't know when you're bragging about having people over there from america. look at all these people from america. are you from america? >> we're from massachusetts. >> that's america the last time i checked. we have the same thing going on over here, but very impressive that they all made -- >> everywhere. >> i'm impressed they made the trek. we're going to switch gears and turn our attention in this half hour to the case in iowa, authorities there say there is good reason to believe that two little girls have been abducted, lester, still alive, we understand. they vanished a week ago. but police say their families are not being cooperative. we'll have the latest on that. plus, it is our weekly dose of our weekend buzz. katie holmes taking on a new roll, her first since leaving tom cruise. it is a far cry from her days on "dawson's creek." we'll get to that and so much more coming up in our weekend buzz all in this half hour. >> a lot to get to this half hour. first, let's get a check of the weather. the weather channel's crystal

egger is with us. >> good morning, lester. so happy to see the weather cooperating there in london. the warmest, driest week so far this summer, just in time for the games. got to talk to these a ladies, they're sticking out like a sore thumb. you wouldn't happen to be tourists, would you? enjoying new york city? >> yes. >> so far, so good. enjoying the weather, 70 degrees and sunny. it will get worse tomorrow. so take in tomorrow. storms return to the northeast and the mid-atlantic. and especially across the southeast coastline if you're going to the beaches. keep an eye to the sky. more heat, more dry weather through the middle of the country and unfortunately that's only going to make the drought worse. tomorrow, rain around the edges of that bubble of hot air. but not where we need it most. >> we're starting off the day with lots of clouds. a little bit of fog and drizzle even. that should be clearing off towards the afternoon but the clouds stick around keeping temperatures cool. low to mid 80's towards the

>> for more on your sunday forecast, you can go to weather.com 24/7. jenna? >> crystal, thanks. it has been nine days since 8-year-old elizabeth collins and her 10-year-old cousin lyric morris sy went for a bike ride and never returned. a major development in the case. investigators say they have proof the girls are still alive. nbc's craig melvin has the latest. >> reporter: in a surprising twist, federal investigators now think someone snatched 20-year-old lyric morrissey and 8-year-old elizabeth collins and the little girls are still alive. >> we feel strongly that the girls are alive. >> reporter: the fbi spokeswoman says their theory is based on

physical evidence. friday, the local sheriff said he believed the young cousins were abducted. while officials are not saying much about their proof, saturday, they made another plea. >> we feel there is someone out there that has pertinent information about the girls' whereabouts and we would like to take this opportunity to ask them to come forward. >> reporter: federal officials revealed they're interviewing persons of interest, but said they would like more help from those closest to the girls. >> law enforcement has not received total cooperation from all family and close friends. >> reporter: lyric's parents have not been named suspects or persons of interest, but court documents show extensive criminal records including convictions involving drugs. lyric's mother, misty, told our affiliate in iowa, she and her husband hired an attorney after police awakened them in the middle of the night. >> we were put into rooms and we were for three hours accused of taking our children, told that

we did it, that we need to tell them where the children are at. >> reporter: the parents of both girls deny any involvement. >> we just want our babies back. >> reporter: the cousins vanished friday, july 13th, after riding their bikes near meyers lake. their bikes and a purse were found nearby along a nature trail, but there were no signs of a struggle or their shoes. the 25 acre lake was dredged, drained and the fbi dive team called in. worried neighbors went door to door, some scoured nearby woods. now, those neighbors wait and hope for a happy homecoming. for "today," craig melvin, nbc news, new york. and now back to lester in london. >> all right. jenna, thanks. the events friday in colorado shatter all of our collective sense of security. imagine securing something like the olympic and all the worst case scenarios you have to think of. the london olympics are the most heavily secured event in the

city's history. the british military installed missiles on rooftops of homes near the olympic site in east london. at home, we have come to accept military security for big events post 9/11. but for generations, london has known what it is like to be a target and has the battle scars to prove it. the stoicism that british are famous for has been engrained by a deep had history of terror. and bloodshed on their own soil. high security here has long been a way of life. >> second nature now. don't really think about it anymore. >> reporter: while america's last vestage of innocence and denial may have been consumed in the ashes of 9/11, londoners have for decades directly suffered the wounds of war and the sense of vulnerability that comes with it. >> it sounds awful, but we are used to be being blown up by people. >> reporter: warships on the thames, a show of force during the olympic games provides an unintended nod to some of london's darkest days.

the blitzkrieg when german bombs rained over english cities for days on end, killing some 40,000 people. >> i think for the british people, this was really a seminole experience. it is rooted deep down now in our psyche. >> reporter: then, of course, came the advent of the modern day terror attack, beginning with the e.r.ira's bloody campa in the '70s and the islamic related attacks in the last several years. during the height of its fight against british rule in northern ireland, the ira targeted london underground station, pubs and stores, leaving scores dead and londoners in a constant state of anxiety. the lessons of those days, says this retired navy admiral and government counterterror expert, helped shape british security for today's threats. >> i think the security service, which was known as mi-5, the internal security agency, rather like, i suppose, the fbi, got

used to dealing with terrorism because of the northern ireland terrorism. but there is no doubt the northern ireland terrorism is very different from islamic terrorism. >> reporter: which was at the root of london's bloodiest days since world war ii, july 7th, 2005, known here as 7/7. 52 transit passengers died in coordinated subway and bus suicide attacks, carried out by four british muslim bombers. experts say the series of recent roundups of suspects on terror-related charges across the uk is not linked to any specific plots. >> this is all preparatory to making it clear to the mischievous out there and possibly the genuine terrorists that the games will be secure. >> reporter: in the meantime, londoners are secure in their hope that nothing can shake their resilience. >> just take it as normal life as most big cities do. no different to paris, new york, you know, most of the major cities around the world. get on with things.

>> additional troops and police officers have been drafted in to help with security here. the move came after the private security contractor hired for the games fell short of its hiring goal. on saturday, the president of the international olympic committee said he was satisfied with the current security arrangements in london. there is more to come here on a sunday edition of "today." jenna has the latest celebrity news in our weekend buzz. but first, we'll look at the athletes likely to make history here in london. that's coming up after these messages. [ school bell ringing ] [ "i just can't get enough" plays ] ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] school supplies... it's guaranteed they'll go through a lot. that's why you get guaranteed savings for back to school at staples. now, buy 2 hp ink cartridges and get the third one free at staples. ♪

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it's your teenager's first varsity game. it isn't just your annual exam. it's your daughter's wedding. did you know with your health insurance you may now have some preventive benefits with no co-pays or out-of-pocket costs? it isn't just your cholesterol screening. it's all the tomorrows you're looking forward to. learn more at healthcare.gov. we're back in london with just five days to go before the olympic games start. team usa is sending 530 athletes to compete in london, all of whom hoping to make history over

the next few weeks. michael phelps and usain bolt are household names. who will be this year's breakout stars? mary carrillo is an olympic correspondent and host of nbc olympics late night. great to have you here. >> nice day. nice bridge. >> the weather broke. everyone is very excited about that. let's talk about u.s. swimming obviously, phelps and lochte, they have overshadowed some great stories on the women's swimming side. >> especially missy franklin. she's a 17-year-old kid who goes to high school in aurora, colorado, where this horrible shooting tragedy occurred. she lives only 15 minutes away. she's a very religious kid, very, very spiritual and she wants so badly to have a great olympics here. and the fact is michael phelps himself calls this kid a stud. and he means that with great admiration. she's only a kid. entered in seven events, four individual events and all three, she could medal in all seven and after what happened in aurora, she wants more than ever to do something very special.

>> you don't know her name now, you will in the days to come. >> great kid. >> a couple of great stories in the u.s. women's gymnastics side. two big names now. >> well, this is a team that is supposed to be better even than the '96 team, the magnificent seven, kerri strug and her teammates who did so well and won team gold. this for the first time, it seems, bella karolyi, working with us on nbc, says it is an embarrassment of riches. jordyn wieber is 17 years old, incredible focus. she's been doing this her whole life. she is something very, very special. look out for jordyn wieber and look out for gabby douglas, only 16 years old. there is a reason why they call her the flying squirrel. she does things only a cat is supposed to be able to do. she is a tremendous story. >> a lot of fun to watch. we got to talk about track. the jamaican sprinters, i did this story for "rock center" and usain bolt is a name we keep

mentioning but his buddy beat him recently. >> beat him in the trials, in his favorite event. that's a big story. usain bolt, only 25 years old, he still has a lot of running ahead of him. but he's trying to become the first ever repeat olympic 100 and 200 meter champion. as you said, though, yohan blake has beaten him in both events, just recently in the trials. that will be an unbelievable competition. >> so much to talk about. i don't have time. u.s. women's soccer likely to do well here. this will be a big olympics for the team usa. i'm looking forward. we're out of time. you have great adventures we'll see during the primetime coverage. i'll let folks tune in and watch. but a fun olympics. >> it will. >> mary, good to see you. >> the olympic coverage begins on friday night, 7:30 eastern time. now here's jenna. thanks. time now for our week in buzz. from rumors about the next american idol judge and what j. lo has to say about it to katie holmes' first big role after

tom. we have it covered with comedian chuck nice and e correspondent alesha crols. you have the lip balm on. >> very difficult to be -- very difficult to be -- five minutes we have been sitting here talk and i put it on and it is the cheap brand because i'm a man. i'm very manly. look at that. >> now that we have that all set, can we talk about "american idol." a tough week for them. they lost steven tyler, then j. lo, now hearing rumors as they try it fill the seat that mariah might want in. 17 million being thrown out. that is a -- i'll do it for, like, an eighth of that. if anybody would be interested. what do you think? >> this is serious. idol needs mariah carey, they need baig name after losing two big names. they have to pay mariah if they want her but she has j. lo's blessing. she said, mariah would be good in that role. it is all about sitting back, helping other people directing. she be with a great choice.

>> i think she would be a great choice too. truthfully, who better than to judge children in a talent contest than someone who was mais married to one. >> oh! >> that was awesome! >> i guessed right. all right, i guess we'll have to wait and see. they're going to have to fill another seat, maybe two other seats as well. you mentioned you got a chance to do speak to j. lo last night. any other big headlines to come out of that? >> her boyfriend casper was in the room. she was in new jersey. she loves being in that section of the country because her kids can play with her nieces and nephews. fun being there. uptown. she's from the bronx. >> how is casper looking? >> he's cute. not my type, but enrique eglacias was there too. he's now -- >> he's adorable. my god, i'm swooning! >> chuck, i want to ask you about katie holmes. last week, we were talking about they were going to get divorced and then they got divorced and

then right away -- this thing is happening fast. she has a role on broadway. she's been doing pretty well for herself post tom. >> this is exactly what you don't want to see from your ex who has left you. when you leave the ex, you want her to do well, like, because you feel bad. but when she blind sides you and she leaves you, you want to mail her files of crack because you don't want to see her do this well this quickly. katie is masterful. you can tell she was planning this escape for quite some time. >> it is not like tom cruise is sitting home looking at facebook, like i can't believe she's on broadway. this is normal's people version of looking at broadway. >> she starred in deadly accounts. this is her second stint on broadway. she planned this up pretty well. >> we have a few seconds left. i have to ask you about octomom, nadya suleman. she filed for bankruptcy, i guess, was the rumor. now it looks like she's been

doing okay because she's been doing some public films. >> more power to her. >> she's not really off public assistance. she just is on a different kind of public assistance. she is being assisted by a different public. and god bless her for that. >> your tax money isn't going towards it so there you go. that's all that matters. >> sunday mornings are so fun with you guys. alesha and chuck, thank you for the quips and always the wonderful insight. back to london in a moment. but first, these messages. [ female announcer ] what makes florida's natural orange juice taste so uniquely fresh and delicious? is it the rich florida soil? or the perfect blend of sunshine, rain, and temperature? maybe it's the fact that florida's natural oranges are never imported. they're raised right here in florida, and passed with care from our hands to yours. 100% pure.

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tourists are expected in london for the olympic games. and while english is the official language, of course, here, a few things may be lost in translation. even for americans. nbc's chapman bell is here with more. a few things, chapman? >> they say that the u.s. and uk are two nations divided by a common language. but you in certain parts of london that division runs a little bit deeper. you may hear people speaking english, but you won't have a clue what they're actually saying. confused? that's the whole point. just like in america, accents vary all across britain. there is the queen's english. >> freedom and responsibility. >> reporter: new castle. and from liverpool. >> finds the back of the net. >> reporter: if you're heading to the london olympics, you'll find yourself in cockney country. what is cockney? austin powers explains it.

cockney is the accent of the east end. audrey hepburn's character tried to lose hers in my fair lady. >> they run in spain stays manly in the plain. >> reporter: and dick van dyke tried one in mary poppins. but in real life, it is the pearly kings and queens of the east end that help keep this accent alive. ♪ >> reporter: they are proper cockney. hard to understand? that's just the beginning. >> around the jolly, into the battle cruiser through the pig's ear. >> reporter: did you catch that? it is rockcockney running slang. which means, frog and toad, road. jolly horner, corner. battle cruiser, boozer. and you can have a pig's ear, a beer. >> reporter: it seems this language was first used in the mid1800s at markets to confuse customers and the police. some know it.

>> if i said the dog and bone. >> that's the phone. >> lady ga divia, a fiver. >> reporter: a trouble in strife would be -- i was able to stump one of the east end's finest. the pig's ear, beer. >> yes. >> reporter: what rhymes with orange? >> nothing. >> think you've g it. true cockney speakers would drop the rhyming part of the slang. instead of saying up the apples and pears, they'll say up the apples, which means up the stairs. answer the dog and bone, they'll say answer the dog, which is phone. so they -- it is all about deception. >> thank you for explaining this. on more than one occasion, i've been huh. i think they think i'm hearing impaired. we should you let them know you are a london based correspondent and reporter here from the south. you picked up the english accent. >> people get confused, but it is plain. >> fun story. we're back in a moment.

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time now to check in with david gregory to see what's coming up on "meet the press." hey, david. >> good morning, jenna. coming up, a special edition of "meet the press." i'll be joined by the governor of colorado, john hickenlooper. a special discussion about what we can do to better detect these kinds of domestic threats that end up backing national tragedies. it is all coming up on a special "meet the press." >> david gregory. david, thank you very much. we'll send it back out to lester one more time. have a wonderful time at the olympics. and i'll see you when you get back. i'll hold down the fort for you. >> we miss you. here with my group of new found friends along the thames. next week is the olympic games on nbc.

we leave you today with some inspiring images from the olympic trials and the athletes in training. i'll see you tonight for "nightly news" from london. until then, so long, everybody. say good-bye. ♪ i'm talking here and now not about what you've done it's about what you do ♪ ♪ it's all about where you're going ♪ ♪ no matter where you've been ♪ ♪ let's go ♪ ♪ let's go ♪ let's go ♪ let's go

>> up next on 11 news, lieutenant governor anthony brown is our q&a guest and we have your inside ticket to this year's olympic games. the family of olympic gold medalist michael phelps will be in our studio. >> we'll start the day with rain and